The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-11-24
Scotty's Big Mule Story.

Scotty cleared his throat when he
reached the hotel Office as thoroughly |
as he had just cleared his part of the |
table; filled his big pipe which had two |
or three twists Of wire about 1t, for IL |
had begun to show signs of cracking
and warping from the combined heat
of tobacco and hot air stories; looked
over the room to see if any OF the trouD-
lesome boarders, who persist in locking
at each other and griDning thosa IN
credulous grins, were present, AM OBJ
serving only one, frightened the wire
around his pipe bowl, to stand the cy-
clone that would soon gurgle forth.
The incredulous one braced himself;
Scotty;s jaws began to work, and
mule 10 hands high, that he saw down
south, was fully described. A big,
good-natured young fellow, with one
arm, and a light complexioned chap,
with hair of delicate ginger color.
we're soon covering the office wall and
hotel register with figures to see wheth-
er the mule, the Cardiff Giant or the
departed Jumbo, was entitled to the
blue ribbon. The delicate ginger
haired fellow was the lightning calcu-
lator and informed them that II
made the mule between seven and
eight feet high. Every eye was turned
on Scotty, but he never flinched. Fol-
a moment there was dull, dead 81
lence, and every eye wandered from
Scotty toward the ceiling, figuring on
the heighth of that mule. Then a
weak looking fellow with dropping
dark mustache, timidly remarked thai
he once saw mule in New Mexico
that had no hair. The one armed man
remarked that he knew a man that lost
his hair in three days and nights. Scotty
again gave the wire around his PIPE
bowl an extra twist, window was
thrown open for another hot wave t.
make its escape and it came: Nv hen
| was in Florida" said Scotty, . was
taken with a fever at ten o'clock ont
night and before the sun arose the next
morning every hair had dropped out OF
nv head.n The landlord had quietly
stepped in few minutes before. few
trembling steps, a door opened anC
closed. and he had faded. The delicate
J ginger haired fellow, he OF the credu
lous mind, was desperate, and to tel
something that would place him in al
enviable position, jumped to another
line of stories and told this startling
tale: Il saw Gus Hansbrough The
night Mohler got him out of jail in Sa
lima. Gus run up one side OF SAINT;
Fe Avenue and Mohler the other, tell
ing every man, woman child that Gu
! was free. Just then Scotty was gettlnI
? ready to completely annihilate every
thing and anything. The one armed
man jumped up, with joy radidiatin!
from every feature and exclaimed
''Scotty, there goes several load of rocl
r that belongs to you, and they want you
f bad" Scotty grabbed his hat and wa
off.
The landlord soon came forth. Ever.
r man drew breath as long as Scotty'
big mule, and the landlord said, ant
the one armed man said, and the de-
3 icate ginger haired youth said, and th
L sad eyed looking man said-no matte
I what they said, but for several min
e utes Scotty must have wondered VIII
his left ear was so burning, roasting
scalding hot. Such was the wild ant
thrilling conversation in an Abilen
D hotel few days ago. Who says w
are degenerating?